Jujutsu Kaisen: I have everything I need now!

The top-grade cursed spirit water clock, its miniature volcano atop it, silently spewed out dark red steam. Its enormous single eye stared intently ahead, and the lingering aura of the dragon in the air was rapidly dissipating.

"The Cursed Spirit... is ultimately the true backbone of this land. I look forward to our next reunion."

The water clock made a hoarse sound, carrying an almost fanatical sense of mission.

It waved its hand casually.

A terrifying wave of fire swept through instantly, heading straight for the students at the college.

"Back off!"

A hoarse, somewhat weary voice abruptly cut off the surging heat.

The first day of the twelfth lunar month stood in front of everyone.

At this moment, his body was contorted. This was not due to fear, but rather the intense heat emanating from his body.

"boom!"

Two beams of bright white, high-energy rays shot out from the pupils of the new moon.

"Squeak—!"

The white rays and the dark red flames collided head-on in mid-air. There was no expected explosion, only a teeth-grinding sound of stones rubbing together—the sound of intense heat annihilating each other.

The heat vision granted by the pig talisman displayed its ruthlessness at this moment—it did not consume spell power, and its output power depended on the holder's control over the talisman. In an instant, it sliced ​​through the flames made of spell power, cleaving the heat wave that was enough to incinerate a level one spell spirit to both sides.

The water clock's single eye suddenly contracted, and in shock, a trickle of lava overflowed from the vent on its head.

However, the feeling on the first day of December was extremely bad.

"Huff... Hah..." He gasped for breath, the scorching air burning his lungs.

Although the fatal risk after the dog charm failed was suppressed by the reversal spell sealed in the katana, without the dog charm, his body was undoubtedly that of a mortal. In the form of the pig charm, which is "high attack and low defense," every inch of his exposed skin could clearly feel the pressure from the water clock.

This first time, the frequent switching of spell abilities also put a heavy burden on his brain, and tinnitus came in waves like the ocean.

A few wisps of steam appeared at the corners of his eyes; those were tears that had welled up and evaporated instantly in the high temperature.

"December!" Maki gripped the katana tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"December, don't fight head-on." Nanami Kento tried to step forward to help, but was forced back by the heatwave.

"Don't come any closer, you all continue down below." December 1st stared at the water clock. "I'll hold them off here."

"Arrogant humans, do you think you can defy the will of nature by merely blocking a casual blow from me?"

The water clock gave a cold laugh, a laugh that showed its contempt for humanity.

"Extreme Strike Meteorite".

Its form vanished instantly, and the next second, the concrete ceiling above December's new moon collapsed. Countless enormous flints rained down from the top of the platform, each carrying the terrifying magical power poured out by a top-tier cursed spirit.

"Is this the flame you're so proud of? Watch closely!"

On the first day of the twelfth month, he suddenly looked up, and the beams of light in his eyes merged into one, transforming into a blazing longsword that reached the heavens and the earth, perfectly slicing the falling meteorite in half from the center.

However, the Water Clock was, after all, a top-tier spirit, possessing extremely high mobility. In the instant of the December New Year's Day, when the creature was focused on cutting the meteorite, the Water Clock had already moved in. It stretched out its hand, the heat accumulated in its palm enough to melt through anything in an instant.

Just then, the water clock suddenly stopped its attack. Its sensitive senses detected a subtle change in the air—the scent of Sukuna's fingers.

As an extremely cautious and strategically focused spirit, the water clock instantly realized the more important task at hand.

It glanced at the December 1st blocking its way, then at the exhausted but still alive members of the high school. Realizing it couldn't defeat the boy quickly, it decided to prioritize its original plan—finding the vessel for Sukuna, Itadori Hisahito.

"Humans, you're lucky this time." Louhu left behind a harsh remark, then his figure transformed into a streak of fire and instantly disappeared into the darkness, heading towards Tiger Staff.

As the water clock disappeared, the extreme heat on level B3 began to slowly subside. The tense crowd finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"December, how are you?" Nanami Kento stepped forward and supported the swaying December.

"He won't die... but he's in terrible condition." December 1st gasped for breath. "Mr. Nanami, take everyone to Miss Ieiri's place first. Yukichi will guide you."

"And what about you?" Miwa Kasumi asked worriedly.

A golden-pink glint flashed again in December's eyes. The Pig Talisman had not only granted him laser eyes, but also thermal vision that allowed him to sense spell power and incantations.

Using the heat-sensing vision of the pig talisman, he detected a signal from someone in an extremely weak state, even through the thick building.

That's Fukuro Megumi.

Behind him was a curse master.

"I have more important things to take care of." December broke free from Nanami's support.

"If we don't stop him, the entire Shibuya will be doomed to be razed to the ground."

His goal was clear. He knew what choice Fukuro Megumi would make in despair: to summon the nightmare of the ten generations of shadow magic users who had never been subdued—Magical Xuro.

Due to his intervention, the water clock left level B3 ahead of schedule. This means that Sukunasu might awaken earlier than in the original story. If Moxulu happens to be summoned when Sukunasu awakens, then the "Demon-Subduing Chef's" domain will instantly harvest all life within a 140-meter radius.

"No, we need to hurry."

As December spends more and more time in the world of jujutsu, his feelings for this place gradually deepen. To him, this is no longer a comic book world, but the real world he lives in.

December 1st dragged his weary body through the tunnel. In his vision, Fushiguro Megumi's signal was rapidly weakening. The curse master was using magic to lock Fushiguro Megumi's mobility.

"Fu Hei... don't do anything foolish, I'm coming right away!" December roared in his heart.

When he finally rushed off the platform and arrived at a secluded alley in Shibuya, the sight that came into view made his pupils shrink.

Fushiguro Megumi leaned against the wall, her face covered in blood, her body pinned to it by several black shadow needles. The gaunt curse master was emitting a lewd laugh as he slowly raised the sharp blade in his hand.

Fushiguro Megumi's lips were already slightly parted.

"Furube... Yura Yura..."

The chanting has begun.

"don't want!"

December 1st roared, ignoring the throbbing pain in his head. Two beams of blazing white light pierced through the ruins of the alley, precisely melting off the arm of the cursed mage the instant he swung his blade.

"Ah—!" The scream was particularly piercing in the rainy night.

However, Fushiguro Megumi's chanting did not stop. He had fallen into a semi-comatose state due to excessive blood loss, but the ritual to summon Makuro continued, driven by the instinctive power of his curse.

A massive ball of cursed energy, bearing the shadow of a roulette wheel, was slowly taking shape above Fushiguro Megumi's head.

On December 1st, he rushed to Fushiguro Megumi and shook his shoulders vigorously: "Fushiguro! Wake up!"

But Fushiguro Megumi's consciousness had already sunk into darkness.

Meanwhile, in the distant center of Shibuya, an evil aura shot straight into the sky.

The two sides of Su Nuo awoke.

As December 1st looked at Mo Xuluo, who was preparing to torture and kill the curse master, and heard Su Nuo's maniacal laughter coming from afar, he knew that the real test was about to begin.

"Click".

On the first day of December, he looked down at the blood-stained mechanical watch:

23:00

It's midnight.